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Friday, June 8, 2012

Portabello Mushroom Parmesan

I am so excited to tell you all about this recipe! I had 2 large portabello mushroom caps in my fridge and I wasn't sure what to do with them. Since I have been on an oven kick lately, I decided to use it again to cook this amazingly easy dinner- Portabello Parmesan.Enjoy chicken or veal parmesan? If you like those classic Italian dishes, you will certainly dig the meaty portabello baked until the panko is crunchy and the mozzarella is stringy and creamy. Hello delicious.

I have said it once, and I will say it again. People need to use their ovens more! Well, let me clarify. If you like the crunch of fried food, but would prefer to save some calories ( like myself) use your oven. It is so easy to put a perfect crunch on foods that would normally be fried. Not to mention you save tons of calories.
I made a quick marinara sauce for this ( which literally takes fifteen minutes), but feel free to use jarred sauce you have on hand. Also I used whole sliced mozzarella I had, but feel free to use shredded if you would prefer. \

The Verdict: This will soon be in my regular meal rotation. The mushroom comes out super tender, while the panko coating stays crisp. This is such a yummy version of a typical fattening classic dish.

Cooks Notes: I would suggest placing the mushrooms facing up( so it looks like a dome) when first baking. They will give off some liquid and you don't want it to sit in the mushroom. Then it will be soggy.

Cook mushrooms fully ( until crisp) and then add sauce and cheese. Don't add all at once.

1. Scoop out gills of mushroom caps and lightly brush off caps with a damp paper towel
2. Beat 2 eggs and pour bread crumbs into a separate bowl
3. Coat mushrooms through egg ( coating them) and then to panko making sure every side has bread crumbs( like you would with chicken cutlets)
4. Place mushrooms on a sheet pan ( facing up like a dome) and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes or until bread crumbs are toasted.
5. Flip mushrooms so they are shaped like a bowl and top with desired amount of pasta sauce and cheese and bake until cheese melts
6. Garnish with chopped basil

Pretty awesome. I had reg. panko on hand and just added some organic oregano, garlic powder and some s&p. For the egg mix, I added a tiny splash of milk and s&p. I made 3 caps, but even so 1 egg was enough for me. I was going to eat just one and the other two for work lunch, but they were so delish, I ate them all. GREAT recipe! <3